Merry Christmas!

I'd like to wish every one of my followers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I'm still around but can't find the time for miniatures at the moment let alone blogging, so thank you for your patience and thanks for following to all new followers!  I have 101 followers, wow, so it's about time I say hello and welcome!  I think there is a tradition of a giveaway at 100 followers but I'm afraid I simply don't have the time to organise anything right now, perhaps a little later on I hope once I manage to blog on a more regular basis.  I am still enjoying reading all your blogs and discovering new ones whenever I have a moment, and I'm desperately itching to get back to all the houses I have awaiting. xx

(Photo above was taken at Bygones in Torquay, Devon, UK, a great little place to visit if you are in the area!)

Miniatures in Berlin (part 4)

If I had realised two little children would leave me virtually no time for minis or blogging I probably wouldn't have started this blog yet!  I am such an awful blogger, but thanks for continuing to follow me and welcome to all new followers.  I drafted this ages ago and never posted it, a few more photos from the museum.....

The Arikalex Museum has a couple of houses filled with vintage German furniture from the 1930's-1950's.  I've seen a few of these pieces before on German ebay so it was great to see them in house settings - some are larger 1:10 scale I think.

Miniatures in Berlin (part 3)

Third instalment of photos from the Arikalex Museum in Berlin!  Another fabulously detailed Mulvany and Rogers House is the Palazzo Vendramin Calergi based on the real palace built during the early Renaissance era.  Such atmosphere in every room, and wonderful lighting.  The windows were amazing.

There are also some room boxes, including this great Jugendstil/Art Nouveau room box based on Gaudi's Casa Batllo in Barcelona, Spain.

Miniatures in Berlin (part 2)

Britannia House

It must have been back in the late 80's I cut out an article from a magazine all about Britannia House, by Kevin Mulvany and Susan Rogers.  I still have the article (is there some copyright infringement if I scan it onto here?), and I still look at the photos adoringly from time to time as that's what really sparked off my interest in 1:12 scale.  When we booked a holiday to Berlin I was amazed to find not only that there is a miniatures museum there, but also that this house is on display.  I couldn't wait to see it!

Wonderfully detailed balcony by John Watkins who sadly died last year.

 

I had never realised the large carpets were in needlepoint, it must have taken months!

There was a lot of reflective light on the glass back of the house so it was very difficult to take good pictures, these were the best I could get.

Welcome again to new followers, and thank you to existing followers for being so patient!  Sorry my posts are so sporadic, hopefully when family life settles down I shall have time to post a little more.

Miniatures in Berlin (part 1)

Last week I visited Berlin and made a special trip to the Arikalex Miniature Museum to see some fabulous houses by the great Mulvany and Rogers (amongst others) in a display of 1:12 houses and interiors from the 4th century to the 20th century.  The museum was fantastic, though there weren't really any references to any of the makers as far as I could see.  I took a lot of photos though with the dimmed lighting (which showed up the lit interiors to the best effect) some photos were a little blurry.

I'll start with the miniature Sans Souci...

The real Sans Souci in Potsdam...

The mini...

The real!

Here are the interior rooms, all miniature.

More photos to follow in my next post!

My houses...Lundby Gothenburg c1979

Looking through old catalogues I think my Lundby Gothenburg dates to 1979.  I'm trying to fill it mainly with Lundby items from around the same era, but also I'm mixing in a few Barton bits.  Still looking for a matching fridge and sink unit for the kitchen.  Not all that much to show here yet.